Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah revealed plans for temple development and pilgrim facilities in the State Budget presentation. The government will offer Rs 5,000 to each Karnataka pilgrim visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, with a Rs 5 crore grant allocated for this purpose. The assistance will be directly transferred to beneficiaries through the DBT system.
In a bid to revitalize 259 temple kalyanis, Siddaramaiah introduced the Jala Nidhi Kalyani Rejuvenation Scheme under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Institutions Department. An amount of Rs 5 crore has been set aside for this three-year project. Additionally, development authorities will be established for Kukke Shri Subramanya Temple and Kolluru Shri Mookambika Temple to enhance infrastructure and overall development of major pilgrimage centers.
Further initiatives include the renovation of Karnataka guest houses at out-of-state pilgrimage centers and the construction of a new choultry in Varanasi. Siddaramaiah also announced plans for the renovation of the choultry at the Raghavendra Swamy temple in Mantralaya. Moreover, new accommodations will be built in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, and Tulajapur, Maharashtra, to enhance facilities for pilgrims.
The Chief Minister highlighted upcoming projects such as a students’ hostel and a commercial complex near Kempegowda Circle in Bengaluru under the PPP model. He also mentioned the implementation of a counselling system for department staff transfers and the finalization of the ‘Anubhava Mantapa’ construction by the Basavakalyana Development Board.
